Dinner at your boss's house: Unless you work in a really casual and friendly office where you discuss your weekend hookups over coffee on Monday morning, then you probably aren't bringing guys you date around the office or even talking about them much. But when it feels permanent, you might take a date to the office holiday party or to dinner with your higher-ups. Again, you probably wouldn't bring a random to a client dinner unless again, you were starring in a romantic comedy about hookers.

A day of mundane activities you both just assume you'll do together: You just spent a day accompanying him to pick up his dry cleaning, mailing a package to your mom at the post office, and renewing his license at the DMV. And somehow, it was all pretty fun. Congrats, you’re an old happily married couple even if you’re not married or old!

Something he’s afraid of: You know he’s secretly afraid of needles and he casually asks if you want to get flu shots together. It's not a date in the dinner-and-a-movie sense, but if he’s willing to let you see him be vulnerable and he depends on you for comfort, you've got major status with him.

Replays of earlier dates: Not the same boring pub you guys go to almost every Friday night, because that’s just habit, but if he takes you back to sit on the bench where you sat and talked the night for hours the night of your first date to reminisce, he’s obviously madly in love with you and counts meeting you as a huge moment in his life.

And I'm sorry this is so dark (and I definitely wouldn't call it a date), but...

A funeral: I know, I know, I'm sorry for making you think of sad things, but if you can support each other while you're grieving, you're a couple who's in it for the long haul. And that at least is some comfort during a really depressing event.

What dates (or other activities) have you gone on that you felt like were a significant sign of your relationship status?

Photos: Getty Images

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Gena KaufmanRelationships writer. Lawyer turned writer who believes that when your love life hands you lemons, you should quit your job, move home, and share your dating mishaps on the Internet.